A group of West Coast tech entrepreneurs are so confident self-driving cars are the way of the future, they want to dedicate an entire highway lane to them. CBC News reports that Madrona Venture Group, which is made up of several high profile tech industry experts, recently released a report proposing that at least one lane of the I-5 highway connecting Seattle and Vancouver be given over to autonomous cars.
The report addresses American and Canadian policymakers, arguing that self-driving cars will soon begin to take over the roads, and that dedicating an I-5 lane to them would make transportation easier between the two tech hubs. Madrona wants autonomous cars to begin by sharing an HOV lane with regular vehicles—as autonomous cars become more dominant, however, Madrona believes it will be necessary to give them exclusive use of an entire lane.
An autonomous car lane would make commuting more appealing and save money, Madrona says. Instead of spending money on expensive train tickets, or wasting hours behind the wheel of a car, commuters would be able to relax in the back of their own self-driving car or a shared taxi-style autonomous van. Additionally, Madrona argues, the autonomous car lane could serve as a cheap alternative to large-scale transportation projects, like the high-speed rail that has been proposed to connect Seattle and Vancouver.
Ultimately, Madrona argues, the autonomous lane could revolutionize commuting. “The principal benefit is that it allows drivers to recapture all the time otherwise spent behind the wheel,” the report explains. “This is at least two and one half hours from Seattle to Vancouver. Imagine being able to watch a video or sporting event, prepare for a business meeting, work on your novel or plan a game with your children.”
China’s massive Three Gorges Dam is 600 feet tall and home to what is probably the world’s largest elevator. The impressive feat of engineering can lift up to 6.7 million pounds, although it generally does not lift more than 3000 deadweight tons at a time.
As seen in the video below (spotted by Gizmodo), large ships enter the loading dock filled with water, and then the lift carries them to the top or back down in about 40 minutes. It’s estimated that the lift will get an extra 6 million tons of goods through the dam each year.
While dams are useful for controlling the flow of water and generating power, drastically changing the water heights on each side of the dam can make getting ships across a challenge. Most dams have adopted a lock system that can slowly get ships across by locking the boats in chambers and adding or removing water.
Three Gorges Dam also has a lock system in place, but that system has two series of ship locks that consist of five stages each, which can take a while. The long process takes about four hours, which is a lot longer than a (relatively) quick trip in an elevator.
Plants need a constant stream of fresh air, just like people, and that “fresh air” means carbon dioxide. Flowers, trees, and fruit all take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. But unlike people, plants don’t have nostrils.
That’s where a plant’s lenticels come in. Each little speck is an opening in the fruit or tuber’s skin or the tree’s bark. Carbon dioxide goes in, and oxygen comes out. Through these minuscule snorkels, a plant is able to “breathe.”
Like any opening, lenticels are vulnerable to infection and sickness. In an apple disease called lenticel breakdown, a nutrient deficiency causes the apples’ spots to darken and turn into brown pits. This doesn’t hurt the inside of the fruit, but it does make the apple look pretty unattractive. In the equally appealing “lenticel blotch pit,” the skin around the apple’s lenticels gets patchy and dark, like a weird rash.
The California Academy of Sciences has a live Shark Cam on YouTube. It shows an HD underwater view of a shark lagoon, and it even works at night (in black and white night-vision mode).
The display is very soothing, though the actual shark content is quite low. If you like watching rays cruise by—and who doesn’t?—you’ll love this. You may also enjoy putting it on as soothing background video. Chill out and watch:
At-home drone technology might be a 21st-century invention, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make one yourself with 20th-century toys.
Flybrix sells kits that let you turn LEGOs (along with some key electrical components) into a fully functioning drone. While not affiliated with the legendary toymaker itself, the Flybrix flying robots are compatible with all your old bricks and minifigs, so you can put your own distinctive spin on a design—over and over again after each spectacular crash. You can also add motors to create a quadcopter, hexacopter, or octocopter, depending on your aviation aspirations.
Introductory kits are available for $149, and include everything you need to build a craft: bricks, motors, boom-arms, propellers, a pre-programmed flightboard, cables, a battery, and, of course, a pilot. While the minifig can’t actually steer the craft himself, you can with your smartphone using the Flybrix app (available for iOS and Android), or you can spring for the $189 deluxe version, which comes with a controller.
Maybe the most exciting thing about Flybrix’s kits is that they’re endlessly customizable. If you’re someone who likes to look under the hood and tweak the mechanics, physical properties, or even the software of a product, the Flybrix code is all open-source, so you’re free to run wild in (technically unsanctioned) LEGO Mania. Just like when you were a kid.
As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, September 24.
Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!
Happy Birthday, Jim Henson! On this mental_floss List Show, John Green shares some little-known facts about the brilliant man behind pop culture icons like Big Bird and Kermit the Frog.
1. Did you know that Jim Henson coined the term “muppet” in the 1950s while working on TV? Contrary to popular belief, the word is not a combination of “puppet” and “marionette.” Henson said, “It was really just a term we made up,” since he did very few things with marionettes.
2. In The Muppet Movie‘s opening scene, Kermit sings “The Rainbow Connection” sitting on a log in a swamp. That scene wasn’t as simple as it looked. To get the shot just right, Jim Henson had to crouch inside a custom-made diving bell submerged under water.
3. Oddly enough, Henson didn’t grow up loving puppetry. He initially just saw it as a way onto television, and by the time he was in college he had a five-minute show on air every weekday.
4. While Henson made money off of that show, Sam and Friends, he also had another college gig: He designed and silk-screened posters for theater shows. He even ran a little printing business out of his college’s student union.
5. Henson made the original Kermit out of his mother’s old turquoise coat. At the time, Kermit wasn’t a frog; he was just an abstract lizard with a dissected ping-pong ball for eyes. Over the years, Kermit gained the frog collar, turned green, and grew webbed feet. As Henson put it: “We frogified him.”
6. If you want to know how much Henson cared about his art, this might give you a good indication: While making a commercial for Southern Bread, Henson decided he wanted to have an archer shoot an apple off the head of a Muppet. So he hired an archer, stuck his hand in the Muppet’s head, and placed an apple right on top. The archer stood twenty yards back and hit the apple on the first shot, but because Henson didn’t like how it looked on camera, he had the archer do it four more times, shooting at his hand—which was a very valuable hand! Fortunately he’d hired a very excellent archer. That’s a great rule for business in general, actually: Never hire a second-rate archer. Unless it’s Jennifer Lawrence. Jennifer Lawrence you should hire for any job, obviously.
7. Jim Henson’s creativity was inspired by his grandmother, Dear. She taught him to draw, and paint, and sew, and amazingly all those skills would come in pretty handy. When Henson finally completed college, taking time off to work on his show and art in between, his degree was in home economics.
8. And he was always a pretty driven individual, and not afraid of a little ostentation. Like, Henson showed up to his college graduation in a Rolls Royce that he’d bought with the money he’d earned over the years of college.
9. Henson wore his beard to cover up acne scars from his teenage years. His agent, Bernie Brillstein, described the look as, “A cross between Abe Lincoln and Jesus.”
10. “In the early days of the Muppets, we had two endings,” Henson said. “Either one creature ate the other, or both of them blew up … I’ve always been particular to things eating other things.”
11. Although he made a number of movies, Jim Henson was only nominated for one Oscar, in 1966, for his experimental short Time Piece. In it, Henson uses no puppets and utters only one word: “Help.” He says it four times.
12. George Lucas consulted Henson when he was creating the Yoda character for The Empire Strikes Back. Henson suggested that his colleague, Frank Oz, should be the performer, and Oz nailed it, both performing and voicing the character.
13. Lucas and Henson stayed friends over the years. In fact, on the first day of shooting Labyrinth, Lucas arranged for Darth Vader to stroll over to Henson and hand him a good luck card.
14. And Lucas wasn’t Henson’s only friend from the science fiction world. Jim Henson was also good friends with Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They even collaborated on projects, like the Labyrinth video game.
15. Speaking of collaborations, the Swedish Chef has two human hands and is performed by two puppeteers simultaneously. Henson and Frank Oz performed the character together, with Henson voicing the “hoargie-boargie” puppet. Frank Oz performed both of the puppet’s live hands, allowing him to execute the detailed and expressive hand motions and handle the equipment in the chef’s kitchen.
16. Cookie Monster, meanwhile, evolved from a character in an IBM training video. He’s always had a tough time with self-control though: Previously he’d been known as “The Wheel Stealer”.
17. Henson hired designer Don Sahlin to build many of the most popular characters. Sahlin perfected the sewing technique called the “Henson Stitch,” a way of hiding fabric seams so that the puppets would look realistic on TV, even in close-ups.
18. And Henson and Sahlin collaborated to create the “magic triangle,” a way of positioning the eyes and nose and mouth of a puppet so that it appears that the eyes are actually focusing. This is part of what makes all the Henson characters look alive compared to other puppets.
19. The Henson-created TV show, Fraggle Rock, was the first HBO original series. Take that, Sopranos!
20. Jim Henson had a specific and somewhat lofty purpose in creating Fraggle Rock. He wanted to end war by teaching kids about peaceful conflict resolution. Duncan Kenworthy, who produced the show said, “Obviously, if you were going to change the world’s ideas about how to resolve conflict, you had to start with children. And so we began.” This from a man who either blew up his puppets or had them eat each other.
21. In early drafts, the Fraggles were called “Woozles”, and the early name for the Doozers was “Wizzles”, and the Gorgs were giant “Wozzles”. Henson wrote in his notes, “These names will very likely be changed.” Good call.
22.Fraggle Rock was filmed in Toronto but it was designed to work around the world, you know, so that it could end war and everything. From the start, Henson intended to do co-production in various countries where the show would air, replacing Doc and his dog with culturally-relevant native counterparts, and avoiding taboo topics that could present problems in certain cultures. And these co-productions did happen in France and Germany and the UK, but in 90 other countries, they just dubbed the show.
23. I’ve been a bit hard on Fraggle Rock‘s ambition to, you know, end war, but Fraggle Rock was a hit in the Soviet Union. In fact in 1989, Soviet television ran an episode of Fraggle Rock and it immediately received 3000 fan letters. Soon, both Fraggle Rock and The Muppet Show aired in the USSR, making them the first Western shows broadcast on Soviet TV.
24. Henson wrote the 16-page treatment for The Dark Crystal while snowed-in at a Howard Johnson hotel during a blizzard. As he wrote in his diary, “It’s such a wonderful challenge to design an entire world—new kinds of life, vegetation, etc. like no one has seen before.”
25. And Henson was never afraid to experiment with new technologies—like Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas was the first time he used radio-controlled puppetry. The technology was based on the work of some NASA engineers and not only allowed him to manipulate the critters’ mouths, but also allowed for puppets that could, like, row and steer boats in water.
26. Believe it or not, The Muppet Show was turned down by all three U.S. TV networks before being picked up by the British TV mogul, Lord Lew Grade. It went on to become one of the most successful TV shows ever, airing in 106 countries to over 235 million viewers.
27. And the show was also made without a contract; it was just a handshake deal. The only condition was that Henson had to shoot it in England.
28. But of course that wasn’t Henson’s only hit. For instance, in 1970, the Sesame Street song, “Rubber Duckie,” performed in the voice of Ernie, reached number 16 on the Billboard charts. He does make bath time lots of fun.
29. Meanwhile, Henson’s performance of the “Rainbow Connection” reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
30. In 1986, Henson was asked to contribute some thoughts for a book called The Courage of Conviction that ended up not being published, but this writing finally surfaced in a book called Jim Henson: The Works, The Art, The Magic, The Imagination which celebrated Henson’s life’s work. He concluded by writing, “At some point in my life I decided, rightly or wrongly, that there are many situations in this life that I can’t do much about—acts of terrorism, feelings of nationalistic prejudice, cold war, etc.—so what I should do is concentrate on the situations that my energy can affect … I believe that we can use television and film to be an influence for good; that we can help to shape the thoughts of children and adults in a positive way. As it has turned out, I’m very proud of some of the work we’ve done, and I think we can do many more good things.”
31. Before he died, Henson wrote up instructions for how his memorial service should be held. He insisted that no one wear black, and that a Dixieland jazz band end the service with “When the Saints Go Marching In.” He wrote, “It would be lovely if some of the people who sing would do a song or two, some of which should be quite happy and joyful. It would be nice if some of close friends would say a few nice, happy words about how much we enjoyed doing this stuff together.”
He got his wish, and the most touching song was “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” performed by Caroll Spinney as Big Bird. He ended it, choking up, by looking up and saying, “Thank you, Kermit.”
Thanks for watching mental_floss video, which is presented to you today by our friends at Lifetime. And as we say in our hometown, “Don’t forget to be awesome.”
Banner image courtesy of John Gooch/Keystone/Getty Images.
If you’ve ever dreamed of running your own bookshop in a picturesque town full of bibliophiles, now’s your chance. For anyone curious about the life of a bookshop owner, The Open Book in Wigtown, Scotland, is open for bookings. More of a residency than a straight rental, the Airbnb experience allows renters free rein of the bookshop with accommodations in the apartment directly above. In exchange for a $38 per night rental, guests get the chance to manage the day-to-day operations of the bookshop with responsibilities ranging from bookkeeping to decorating.
With a team of volunteers and fellow bookshop employees for support, the residency aims to celebrate and encourage education in running independent bookshops. “The bookshop holiday provides a creative, social, energizing holiday for both seasoned booksellers or novice bookies (like me),” says Margi Watters, who took over the shop for a week all the way from Philadelphia. “The ability to make the shop one’s own encourages each new visitor to invest in the project and put his or her personal stamp on the shop.”
But the area offers plenty of other things for book lovers to do that don’t require ringing a register. In 1998, Wigtown (population: 900) was designated Scotland’s National Book Town and is now home to more than a dozen book-related businesses, in addition to the annual Wigtown Book Festival, which this year runs from September 23 to October 2. Here are some of Wigtown’s highlights.
THE OLD BANK BOOKSHOP
Formerly the Customs House and Bank, The Old Bank Bookshop is now home to five rooms full of secondhand fiction, local history, antiquarian titles, and, most distinctively, a room full of sheet music and art history.
READINGLASSES
While ReadingLasses offers a variety of new and used titles, its first distinguishing feature is its charming cafe. Whether stopping in for lunch or a spot of tea, you can get cozy in the back cafe or in the front reading rooms surrounded by books. The cheery pink store also sets itself apart from the rest of the town by specializing in books “by and about women.”
GLAISNOCK CAFE AND GUEST HOUSE
The Glaisnock is Wigtown’s three-for-one, offering books, bites, and board all in one place. While their book collection is small and comprised mostly of secondhand fiction ($1.50 paperbacks!), their diverse, locally-sourced menu is a bit more wide-ranging. Here you can try traditional favorites ranging from fish and chips to haggis, neeps, and tatties, followed by a decadent selection of cakes and sweets. On the first Saturday of each month, they also host Drink, Read, Relax, which offers special deals on its drinks, treats, and books.
CURLY TALE BOOKS
Curly Tale Books, the town’s newest addition, appeals to Wigtown’s youngest visitors. Functioning as both a publisher and a brick-and-mortar shop, the store has an extensive collection of children’s and young adult books, including their own titles. They also often open their space for readings and children’s activities.
BYRE BOOKS
Almost completely hidden from the town square, Byre Books is off the beaten path and almost completely overtaken by greenery. Up until 2000, the building used to be a cow shed (“byre” in Scottish) but is now home to a book collection centered around folklore, archaeology, and history.
THE BOOKSHOP
The largest and perhaps most well-known of Wigtown’s bookshops is The Bookshop, simply named and most reminiscent of the Hogwarts Library. With more than 100,000 used books, The Bookshop is Scotland’s largest secondhand bookstore and home to a maze of an ever-changing selection and an owner who will shoot your Kindle on sight (not really, but he does have footage of burning Kindles in mock emulation of Amazon’s “Kindle Fire”). From the rows of Penguin classics, to the rustic ladders for help reaching higher shelves—not to mention the lofted bed nook and the comfy recliners in front of the fireplace—this bookshop is every bibliophile’s dream. Did we mention the spiral stairs? And if you want to take a piece of The Bookshop’s magic home with you, sign up for The Random Book Club, where you’ll be mailed one random secondhand book each month.
BELTIE BOOKS AND CAFE
Wrap up your tour of Wigtown’s bookshops with a stop at Beltie Books and Café. Beltie’s has a small selection of secondhand books, mostly nonfiction, and many with a focus on all things Scottish. Enjoy coffee and tea in the cafe alongside art on display—most of it astronomical photos of the night sky taken from the Galloway Forest Park.
COMMUNITY SHOP
If you’ve checked into all of Wigtown’s bookshops but are still hungry for more, don’t forget to stop into the Wigtown Community Shop—a charity shop across the street from The Open Book. While you’re sure to find the typical thrift store odds and ends, they also have a smaller second room piled high with book donations, categorized by genre, with all proceeds going to local Wigtown organizations.
When your eyes are tired of scanning row upon row of books, you can take a break and visit Craigard Gallery, The Bookend Studio, and Historic Newspapers for a change of pace that’s still on-theme. While these shops aren’t centered around bookselling, the majority of their goods are all book- or print matter-related. From The Bookend’s jewelry made of old book pages to gorgeous letterpressed journals, each of these shops finds a way to continue the bibliophilic love of the town. Even the local pub has a small corner of books!
Finally, our last and most unique stop on the tour is a visit to Christian Ribbens’s, a local book binder. Ribbens began restoring bindings of old books as a hobby and, just as he came to Wigtown, the current book binder of the time was just about to retire. He bought her supplies and set up his own home workshop, where he restores book bindings for customers all over the UK. Although most of his business happens to be the preservation of heirloom family Bibles, he also restores antique books.
While most of these businesses are open year-around, the town’s main attraction is the Wigtown Book Festival, which runs for 10 days each autumn. Each year, thousands of visitors come to Wigtown to attend events centered around literature, music, film, theater, and other arts, with guest authors and speakers from around the world. But no matter what time of year, there are plenty of places for every book lover.
